So, is Cervenka liking the NHL?

[$ven27]

I really hope we're able to resign this guy, I like what I've seen from him so far.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by keenan87

How much would it take to re-sign him on his current pace.

3 years at 3.0 million per year?

Sounds about right to me (maybe 10M total over three years... just so that when he looks at the offer he see's that extra place before the decimal point)... I think they should do it ASAP. I like what I've seen so I think a small gamble on him now would yield considerable surplus value later.

[MisterJoji]

I don't think they should rush to extend the guy after 8 games, it's just too small a sample size. Lets see how he's doing near the end of the season. Not to say that I think his production will drop off considerably, as he hasn't really looked out of place, but a multi-year deal around 3 million/year (as is being suggested) is a lot of risk after what would amount to 1/10 of a regular season, especially with the cap dropping. I don't think they'll be a huge risk of losing him as our Center depth is poor and he's getting plenty of TOI including PP time, not to mention Hudler being here for a few more years. The only risk would be possibly if he wants to play with his buddy Jagr

[dammage79]

Hmmmm my gut is telling me there is a waaay better player in Cervenka than the first eight games shows. Just a hunch

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

I don't think they should rush to extend the guy after 8 games, it's just too small a sample size. Lets see how he's doing near the end of the season. Not to say that I think his production will drop off considerably, as he hasn't really looked out of place, but a multi-year deal around 3 million/year (as is being suggested) is a lot of risk after what would amount to 1/10 of a regular season, especially with the cap dropping. I don't think they'll be a huge risk of losing him as our Center depth is poor and he's getting plenty of TOI including PP time, not to mention Hudler being here for a few more years. The only risk would be possibly if he wants to play with his buddy Jagr

I don't know. The skill is there and IMO that's the most important. As long as his attitude is there and he is happy in Calgary $3 million isn't that much of a risk. If he continues playing like this you can bet that if he is available July 1st that many teams will be sniffing around and you don't want to be bidding for him in the silly season because he will get overpaid.

[dammage79]

His ELC is bonus laden to 3.7 is it not? If he does well I can see him asking for 4-4.5. On a three year deal I could live with that.

[$ven27]

Originally Posted by dammage79

His ELC is bonus laden to 3.7 is it not? If he does well I can see him asking for 4-4.5. On a three year deal I could live with that.

If it has tons of bonuses too. I wouldn't wanna pay him 4-4.5M unless he puts up really nice numbers (35-40ish points in 48 games). If he hits those bonuses, he gets 4M, if not, 2M or something would be fine by me.

[automaton 3]

Some of the passes that he and Hudler are pulling off are just sick. The Stajan-Cervenka-Hudler goal from earlier this year was one of the prettiest goals I've seen from the Flames in years.

Very talented player.

[polak]

3 million/3 yrs is a steal imo.

If thats what it takes then get it done. I can't possibly see him getting worse. It's not like you can argue that he is benefitting from his line mates or some other stat booster.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

but a multi-year deal around 3 million/year (as is being suggested) is a lot of risk after what would amount to 1/10 of a regular season, especially with the cap dropping.

The cap is dropping to 60M... 5% of cap allotment isn't a lot of risk for a top 6 forward.

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

I don't think they'll be a huge risk of losing him as our Center depth is poor and he's getting plenty of TOI including PP time, not to mention Hudler being here for a few more years.

IMO the huge risk isn't that he'll want to go someplace with an easier roster spot or available ice-time... the risk is that his price tag will go up. I think the 3M price tag is about market value for what he's shown us thus far... that's immediately post-injury, without a proper training camp, before adjusting culturally, in his first year in the NHL. Add all those factors together and I just see him as having more in him then we've seen so far so I'd like the team to try and lock him up at a favorable rate now.

[868904]

I think there's some great potential there but I'd wait till the end of the year first. He does look a step behind physically and i'm hoping that it is just the blood thinners and health related. His shot also seems to lack the zip we've seen in some of his highlights in the KHL so again that could be a health thing. It'll be interesting to see him in a month's time. There's really no rush. I think it's a great situation for him here so I think he'd give the Flames the first opportunity to re-sign him even if he breaks out.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by 868904

I think he'd give the Flames the first opportunity to re-sign him even if he breaks out.

I do too... but I'd rather we get him at the pre-breakout price. It's a simple exchange of risk for value.

[Machiavelli]

Originally Posted by the2bears

I would guess that the blood is not as efficient at carrying oxygen. Might be other effects.

Yeah, I don't think so.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by BigRed

Can you explain, for those of us who don't know the effect blood thinners have on one's stamina, etc?

Well I was under the impression he wasn't allowed to skate for part of the time that he was on blood thinners. Not being able to skate can affect your skating stamina.

[TeahatingBrit]

Originally Posted by the2bears

I would guess that the blood is not as efficient at carrying oxygen. Might be other effects.

It inhibits clotting factors, has nothing to do with oxygen carrying capacity.

He's just out of shape. Mind you, part of that could be secondary to the altitude, and another part of it is not really playing hockey since November.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Well I was under the impression he wasn't allowed to skate for part of the time that he was on blood thinners. Not being able to skate can affect your skating stamina.

He was able to skate, just no contact. Blood thinners have no effect on exercise tolerance. If his INR (the test to see how long it takes your blood to clot) was too high now and then they may have stopped him from skating for a few days until it came back down, but otherwise it makes zero difference.

If he is out of shape, he doesn't really have a medical excuse

[SuperMatt18]

He was out of shape due to not playing, and I am guessing that the injury woes in combination with having a new baby in the house led to him not being overly focused on his training.

He has the hockey sense and skill to be a good player in the NHL, we just need to hope his lack of speed/stamina is due to him being out of shape and is something that will be worked off as this season progresses.

He looked much more explosive in those KHL highlight videos and I have a feeling that explosiveness will slowly start to come back as the season progresses.

[Gravitykillr]

I thought he looked a bit slow and behind the first few games but thought last night he looked good, and if he's only going to get better as he gets in better shape I'm excited to see what he can do. Seems that whoever you put with him and Hudler scoring chances are very high, but to add to that I've been very impressed with Hudler's play.

[Circa89]

Originally Posted by TeahatingBrit

It inhibits clotting factors, has nothing to do with oxygen carrying capacity.

He's just out of shape. Mind you, part of that could be secondary to the altitude, and another part of it is not really playing hockey since November.

J Biomech Eng. 2008 Feb;130(1):011003. doi: 10.1115/1.2838029.
Effect of blood viscosity on oxygen transport in residual stenosed artery following angioplasty.

Kwon O, Krishnamoorthy M, Cho YI, Sankovic JM, Banerjee RK.
Source

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.

Abstract

The effect of blood viscosity on oxygen transport in a stenosed coronary artery during the postangioplasty scenario is studied. In addition to incorporating varying blood viscosity using different hematocrit (Hct) concentrations, oxygen consumption by the avascular wall and its supply from vasa vasorum, nonlinear oxygen binding capacity of the hemoglobin, and basal to hyperemic flow rate changes are included in the calculation of oxygen transport in both the lumen and the avascular wall. The results of this study show that oxygen transport in the postangioplasty residual stenosed artery is affected by non-Newtonian shear-thinning property of the blood viscosity having variable Hct concentration. As Hct increases from 25% to 65%, the diminished recirculation zone for the increased Hct causes the commencement of pO(2) decrease to shift radially outward by approximately 20% from the center of the artery for the basal flow, but by approximately 10% for the hyperemic flow at the end of the diverging section. Oxygen concentration increases from a minimum value at the core of the recirculation zone to over 90 mm Hg before the lumen-wall interface at the diverging section for the hyperemic flow, which is attributed to increased shear rate and thinner lumen boundary layer for the hyperemic flow, and below 90 mm Hg for the basal flow. As Hct increases from 25% to 65%, the average of pO(2,min) beyond the diverging section drops by approximately 25% for the basal flow, whereas it increases by approximately 15% for the hyperemic flow. Thus, current results with the moderate stenosed artery indicate that reducing Hct might be favorable in terms of increasing O(2) flux and pO(2,min), in the medial region of the wall for the basal flow, while higher Hct is advantageous for the hyperemic flow beyond the diverging section. The results of this study not only provide significant details of oxygen transport under varying pathophysiologic blood conditions such as unusually high blood viscosity and flow rate, but might also be extended to offer implications for drug therapy related to blood-thinning medication and for blood transfusion and hemorrhage.

[troutman]

Science!